Title:
Speaking the Truth
Henry stood in front of the mirror buttoning his shirt. Momentarily he stopped to examine the small bite marks on his neck. The area was slightly sore to the touch but overall it looked to be healing fairly quickly.
"Worried? You wouldn't want us to be vampires as well, would you?" Edward questioned.
"We're not going to turn into vampires!"
"I'm so sorry for that" she apologized again, walking up behind him. She lightly leaned her cheek against his shoulder. "I know you won't turn into a vampire but I feel guilty about it."
"I'm curious, how does one become a vampire anyway?" he asked, fastening his collar.
"Well there has to be an exchange of blood couple of times at least. Dracula feed off of me a few times before he forced me to drink his blood. I hadn't even realized that he feed on me the first couple of times," she explained. "I don't think I could ever force this kind of existence on another. It's just too cruel."
She tightly gripped the side of his shirt. Just remembering the past hurt. She had had so many nightmares about the night the Count revealed his true colors to her. She had never spoken the truth to anyone; she didn't even dare to confide in her diary. She wondered if she should tell Henry the truth as she felt him turn and embrace her.
"Henry, I need to tell you something."
He noted the seriousness of her tone and only nodded in response. Silently he listened as she confessed to him about her encounters with the Count before she knew he was a vampire. He could see the pain in her eyes as she retold the tale to him. Including the details that she had been too afraid to admit to anyone. After she had finished her story, he found that she couldn't make eye contact with him. She had bared her soul to him, so he felt that it was only fair to do the same.
"Well there's something I need to tell you too."
She looked up slightly surprised but intently listened to him. It was his turn to tell her of the things that he had done and all the terrible things he had allowed Edward to do. The atrocities that Edward committed were many and Henry felt much pain and conflict over them. If he hadn't been a coward he probably would have taken his own life. It would be the fitting thing to do or so he thought until he saw the pained expression her face.
"Neither one of us can atone for our past if we are dead," she said, gently.
"I know, that's why I'm still here."
"I won't hold your past against you, if you don't hold my past against me."
"You have a deal," he replied, before kissing her.